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“A Tale of Two Extremes – Is this your 1 star or 5 star? – A total review”

Reviewed 28 September 2015
for a stay in September 2015

15

people found this review helpful

I always try to be fair and balanced in my reviews and this one is the most difficult I have ever undertaken. So that you can make your mind up if this is for you, quickly, I am writing under headings that will allow you to skip anything that you’re not interested in and get to what you consider important. If at the end I have been helpful in making your mind up either for or against, please tick the “Helpful” box and encourage me to write another review.In a Nut ShellThis property is in a great situation and for what it could be is reasonably priced. It is decorated, furnished and designed to a high standard. The location of the bedrooms and separate bathroom/toilets makes it ideal for two couples to share. It is dog friendly.It would not be suitable for couples with young children or those with any infirmity. There are issues caused by damp and possible misuse/extra cleaning requirements.Who is it for?This house is in an excellent position for anyone who can walk up and down stairs or hills easily and has a good sense of balance. If this is not you stop reading now. Its design affords some lovely views and the garden is ideal for anyone who has a dog, (although the wrought iron fence has gaps large enough for small or medium sized dogs to be little escapees if they are so inclined).The House Itself – the good aspects.The house is built into the side of a hill and is virtually invisible from the road, being a converted Toll house for entry into the lovely valley during Victorian times. The balustrade flat roof, which is level with the pavement entry, affords some fine views over the wood and the coast line. Entry to the building and gardens is either side of the house down stone steps, (the one to the right having a hand rail - reassuring when carrying heavy cases etc.The entrance patio has sufficient, although slightly damaged, garden furniture to allow outside eating when the sun shines and again affords a view of the sea.The entrance and centre of the building is given to a dining area/bedroom corridor to the left, which could seat up to six, a central lounge area comfortably furnished a good standard and looking onto a spiral stair case leading down to the underground kitchen and to the right is a cloakroom area leading to the second bedroom. Both bedrooms are well furnished and of a decent size and the beds are comfortable. There is plenty of storage space.There is more than sufficient heating throughout the house-you definitely will not be cold.In the basement the kitchen is fully equipped , even down to champagne glasses but none of the pans is non-stick and we were pleased that we had taken our own frying pan. There is a breakfast bar which is pleasant enough but we preferred to take our meals upstairs, especially as our dog couldn’t join us in the kitchen.

The House itself – The bad aspectsThe main problem is that of damp, caused because the lead flashing has become partly detached in places and instead of diverting water away is in some cases acting as a funnel. The house has a dehumidifier but it is clear that to be satisfactory the owner needs to review the situation with a professional builder. The cost of not doing so, in the long run will be far more. At the moment there is evidence of black mould around the property that makes some aspects of living there unpleasant, especially in the bedrooms. At the very least air fresheners are needed. I don’t have an axe to grind, that is just how it is – if the problem was resolved I would give the Outlook five stars and grab the chance of another booking.The entrance to the kitchen is down an iron spiral stair case which tapers to an almost straight drop at the narrow side. Fortunately we were all able bodied and the dog had sufficient sense to realise its limitations. If you are six feet tall or above watch your head as you descend beneath the ground floor. Equally the hob vent is very low and made of glass and my taller friend cursed more than once as he tried to cook and banged his head.The Area – Beach and WoodlandWe were very pleasantly surprised at how attractive the area is, combining a long but fairly traditional beach front, trinket shops, ice cream parlours, pier etc with some beautiful walks in woods that lead right up to or from the beach. The beach has large pebbles, initially giving way to fine sand along its whole length. The areas to the right and left allow dogs on the beach and the central area is usually humans only ( Hints and Tips)The valley is strewn with tracks laid down mainly in Victorian times and forms part of the Cleveland Way which leads almost up to the Look Out. At the beach end of the valley is a children’s play area and for those that can walk further there is an Italian Garden and a delightful café.On a more mundane level, slightly up hill and across the main road there is a sizeable Sainsbury’s supermarket down a side road.Hints and TipsFrom the Look Out there are areas of the beach for dog walking to the left and right as you face the sea. The right end is the one to go for. Not only is it nearer it is not prone to pollution. Both ends are used by numerous dog owners but are clean and “Doggy Heaven”.The central beach, which stretches from just before the pier and in front of the sea wall/promenade, is dog forbidden up to 30th September. There are numerous small notices that tell you that it is monitored and there are fines of up to £500 for those who break the rules but we saw several instances. Your dog needs to be back on a lead when you walk along the promenade to avoid total chaos amongst school parties, open cafes and numerous furry friends.From the promenade it is well worth taking the funicular railway at least once. It is a pound each, dogs ride free and our dog loved it so much we did it twice. At the top the road curves to your left and will take you almost directly back to your address.Dear readerThank you for taking the trouble to read this review. I hope it helps you make the right choice or at least avoid the wrong one. If so, do me a favour and tick the Helpful box - for which many thanks!

Travelling group:Spouse/Partner

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Yes.

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

We booked this holiday let for a week away. On arrival we were very disappointed by the cleanness of the property. The fridge was disgusting. We contacted the owner as we thought they needed to know. To be fair they sent the cleaner back. By this time my wife had scrubbed the fridge. As we unpacked we found that the whole place was dusty. The kettle and teapot both ground in dirt, wardrobes and drawers smelt musky. This was such a shame we spent Saturday cleaning. The sad thing is that this is a lovely property, with great furnishings. It is clear that the owner has spent a lot of money on this lovely accommodation. Sadly let down by the very poor cleanliness on arrival.

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Liked best:the views

Liked least:dirty

Travelling group:Spouse/Partner

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
No.

Recommended for:

Friends getaway

People with pets

Was the property as advertised?

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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Management Response

15 Mar 2015

Whilst I find your review correct in so much as the outlook is in a lovely position and extremely well presented , equipped and a lovely place for a holiday .I find offensive the fact that you , after arriving at 3.00 pm talking to me at 4.00 pm the housekeeper being back on the doorstep by 4.30 only to be told all was now well that you hide behind the Internet and did not have the common dourtesy to tell the housekeeper for a whole week that you where not happy at which time every effort would have been made to ensure that you where .The housekeepers number is clearly listed in the information brochure in the house and Debbie was avilable at any time to undertake any cleaning issues that you perceived . There are no issues of this nature with any of our previous customers.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC

I stayed here with my husband and 12-year-old daughter. We'd viewed the photos of the property and what attracted us most were the views. However, it was a little disappointing to find that the views were mainly obscured by trees and that you couldn't see any views from the living area. Most days it was too cool to sit on the terrace, where the views were good, but the main table/chair arrangement had rusted away quite significantly underneath (this needs addressing, as it's quite dangerous. It caused me to spill our drinks and nothing more serious, but an elderly person could have been badly hurt). My husband complained about the lack of shaving sockets in the bathrooms, as he couldn't use his electric toothbrush, a minor issue, but easy to fix. The hallway would benefit from a coat stand, too (there is ample room for one). We loved the modern decor, soft furnishings, ornaments etc. However, the living area was rather dark and would benefit from better lighting. Our daughter complained about lack of Internet, but we found it a pleasant respite! It was great having two bathrooms and the large shower was wonderful. The addition of complimentary milk and wine on arrival would be a nice touch.

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How easy was key pickup/access to the property?

Overall condition of the property

Bedding & mattresses

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Liked best:Bedrooms and bathrooms

Liked least:Lack of views from lounge area

Travelling group:Other

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Yes.

Recommended for:

Friends getaway

Families with young children

Would you recommend the location of this property?

Was this review helpful? Yes

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC